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BRITYREX
INTERNATIONAL
Profil’s UK agent “Mossi”, Mostafa Ali-ahyayi
Jose Gomes, (left) making the case for Nortenha
Insa Turbo highlighting the benefits of quality retreads to prospective clients
Rema Tip Top focussed on tyre fitting equipment at Brityrex
tyres, they discovered that they had good opportunities with them. They gave them a different product, a quality product and a profit opportunity compared to new tyres, particularly new winter tyres.”
Enter Tyres focus on car tyre sizes, 13” to 17”, plus a few light truck options. The company is well aware that they cannot afford to have returns in the UK, both from a reputation point of view, and from a cost standpoint. So retreads destined for the UK market are thoroughly inspected to be sure that the casings, bought from the UK, are grade A and damage free. Fellow Polish retreader, Profil was present with the UK distributor Mostafa Ali-ahyayi, or “Mossi”. Michal Zygmunt of Profil was
never know, I might talk to just a dozen people here, but one of them might be the one that signs a big order.
Mossi, was less sanguine and would like to have seen more people coming to talk to them, but it is early days in the UK for Profil and already they claim to be selling 2,000 pieces per month. Spain’s Insa Turbo was present, supported by Micheldever’s David Dineen. Insa Turbo is arguably the market leader in the retread 4x4 market and any car parc survey of tyres on older, and even some newer 4x4 vehicles will tell us that Insa Turbo is certainly one of the more popular brands. The brand popularity doubtless helped by distribution through Micheldever, one of the UK’s largest tyre
Portugal, partially on the back of an ongoing rationalisation of the industry. With new car sales down by an incredible 50 per cent the tyre business was in freefall and the market was very competitive. However, with Nortenha’s wide spread of interests in car, 4x4, truck and OTR, the company was able to invest in new technologies and new products at a time when most competitors were simply tightening their belts.
However, if that were the case, the erstwhile market research is coming a bit late in the game. Are there two prospective car tyre retread operations in the offing? It is well known that long standing retread expert Michael Rose has been looking for an opportunity. It looks like car tyre retreading in the UK could be about to get interesting again.
the likes of Goodyear and Conti. These were outselling the more aggressive traditional type patterns designed for and sold in the Nordic markets.
Around at Nortenha, the Portuguese company was selling direct to those who had made contact and wanted tyres. The company did not have a distributor in the UK but hoped that perhaps this first time visit to Brityrex might produce that contact to help set up a distributor for Nortenha tyres in the UK.
José Gomes explained that the company was performing well in
One other retreader, or ghost retreader, was Evotech (EU) Ltd, who had an empty stand essentially saying “ watch this space”. Ian Smith is one of the people behind this project and apparently the idea was to judge the market and see whether there was any interest in the revival of a car retread operation in the UK. Putting two and two together, Retreading Business has heard that Technic’s old equipment has been bought back from the Canadian operation that purchased it when Technic went to the wall, and that itisonitswaybacktotheUK.
relaxed about the show. “We have to be at these shows. If we don’t come then we get no business. I went to a show in China. Everyone thought I was mad. I was selling sand to Arabs. But I got two good customers from that show, so you
wholesalers. Miguel Gandia from Insa Turbo pointed out that the company was seeing an increase in interest in their winter tyres, particularly their less aggressive patterns, which emulate those offered in the European market by
24 Retreading Business